Alcaraz beats Shelton to claim first Paris Masters title

Carlos Alcaraz won the Paris Masters for the first time on Sunday, defeating Ben Shelton 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the final. The world No 3 secured his ninth ATP Masters 1000 title, according to Reuters, while Sky Sports reported that the victory was his fifth tournament title of the 2026 season.

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The opening set lasted 65 minutes without either player breaking serve. Sky Sports reported that Shelton had six break-point opportunities but could not convert any of them, leaving the set to be decided by a tie-break. Alcaraz won that contest seven points to five to take the lead, despite the pressure he had faced on serve.

Shelton moved ahead in the second set, breaking Alcaraz to take a 3-2 lead before holding serve to extend his advantage. Reuters reported that two double faults from Alcaraz helped the American gain the break, while two aces followed in Shelton's next service game. Alcaraz recovered the lost break to bring the players level at 4-4.

The Spaniard completed the turnaround by breaking again with Shelton serving at 5-6. Reuters described a backhand winner down the line that finished the match after further forehand errors from the American. Alcaraz became the first Spanish winner of the Paris tournament since David Ferrer in 2012, adding a new event to his collection of Masters titles.

The result also reversed their September meeting at the US Open, where Shelton ended Alcaraz's title defence in the quarter-finals. Sky Sports reported that the New York match lasted four hours and 28 minutes. In Paris, Alcaraz finished the final in straight sets and extended his current winning streak to nine matches, with five titles now secured from six finals this season.

Attention now turns to the ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled for November 15-22, according to Sky Sports. Its report said Rafael Jodar had taken the eighth and final qualifying place. Alcaraz heads towards that event having collected the Paris trophy and recovered from a second-set deficit in the final, rather than needing a deciding set against Shelton.